NEW YORK/BEAUTY: ANGELO DAVID SALON

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ANGELO DAVID SALON

 

After a week and a half in New York, which included throwing my little mother her birthday party and attending that early morning women’s breakfast I told you about yesterday, not to mention having the soles fall off not one, but two, pairs of expensive shoes (hey, thanks Donna Karan!, said very sarcastically,) I needed some refreshing. My hair was dull and frazzled (so, it matched my brain at that point!,) and just about all of my usually-beautiful nails had broken. I was a mess.

The view of Grand Central Station out the window of the salon. All photos by Karen Salkin.

I had met an attractive female at the Celebrating Women breakfast who recommended getting some pampering at the Angelo David Salon, across from Grand Central Station, (which, just by the way, is one of my most hated places on the planet.) The location does make it convenient to most New Yorkers, so don’t mind my prejudice against the station itself. (Long story for another time.)

The view of the reception area as you get off the elevator.

So, a couple of days after my mother’s very successful party, and wallowing in the gloom of a week of rainy New York City days, I took a beauty day for myself and headed over to Angelo David. Since I don’t have a computer in New York, (yet another long story,) I asked Mr. X to look it up for me, and he said, “It’s a really classy place!” And we know if there’s any place that I fit in, it’s a classy one! (Yeah, right.)

After a harrowing subway ride, (I hadn’t taken one in about eight years, and this made me remember why,) I needed some calming down when I arrived. And that’s just what they did. Pretty quickly, I met my stylist, Meaghan Frayne, who’s actually their artistic director, (at such a young age!,) and she went right to work, analyzing my coiffure needs. She didn’t say anything bad about my tresses, as some hair people think they must, to show their clients that they know best, so I liked her right away.

Meaghan was the perfect balance of being in-charge without foisting her vision on the client. She’s a normal, nice, cute girl who doesn’t act like she’s all that. I didn’t even know of her high position at the salon until I noticed it in tiny writing on her business card! (That’s the same writing that states my position as “Major Celebrity” on mine—I don’t need to knock people over the head with it. Either they realize I’m a major celeb or they don’t.) She’s very easy-going and just into getting it done, all the while singing the praises of the head guy, Angelo David himself. (More on him later.)

My hair--the finished product!!!

I’m thrilled to say that she kept my hair just about the same shade that it’s been my whole life, so it looks really natural, just fresher. But she trimmed my hair in a way that I’ve been wanting to try, without me mentioning it! It’s still super-long, but instead of the straight across that it’s been on the bottom, it’s more of a V shape, with just a bit of layers there, so that it will have some wave to it, even when blown. That’s what I had been trying to ask other stylists to do, but they didn’t know what I meant. Meaghan thought that’s the way it should be without me even mentioning that that’s the style I was interested in! And it looks so cute in a ponytail now, too.

Marianna working on someone else's manicure. (I'm a pretty good photographer, but not that good that I could have taken this one of myself!)

While I was resting my weary head on the sink, waiting for a quick conditioning treatment to work its magic, I had the most fun thing happen—a lovely woman, Mariana Kryekurti, gently took my hands. At first, I didn’t know what was going on, but it turned-out that she was starting my manicure right then and there!!! I didn’t have to spend any of my limited New York time having the services in a row—she came to me, and did the manicure during the conditioning, continuing on while Meaghan and her trusty assistant, Charley Keating, blew my hair–I was triple-teamed! What luxury.

I hate having non-uniform nails, whether long or short, and when Mariana was done, they were perfect. Even the ones that had broken all the way down. (New York is always murder on my hands.) I could get used to this kind of special treatment.

Now that I was finally calm and attractive (well, compared to how I looked when I showed-up, anyway,) I was ready for a tour of the salon, courtesy of Carlos Perez, who’s an expert in their specialty of hair extensions and what they politely refer to as “additions.” (Hairpieces, for those of you not up on the politically correct jargon.) I had seen a number of private rooms, and was wondering what they were for. Now I know they’re to respect the privacy of hair-challenged clients, which I think is just great. Since I have enough hair for ten people, (as people who need an hour to blow my luxurious locks usually tell me,) I felt a little guilty realizing just how many people really need assistance in this area. But it’s good that those on the east coast have the Angelo David Salon to help them.

Carlos Perez and Angelo David.

Towards the end, I met Angelo himself, who looked like the guys I went to high school with in Brooklyn, which made me comfortable right away. We didn’t get to talk long, since Carlos and Meaghan had already given me the low-down on everything I could possibly want to know about the place, and it was raining and I was anxious about taking a dreaded subway ride back home. (With good cause, as it turned-out. Standing on a subway car is far from the best thing for a herniated disk.)

Artistic Director Meaghan Frayne and Charley Keating double-team blow-drying another client.

Meaghan was kind enough to pin up my hair and help me cover it with the scarf I was wearing around my neck originally, so that it wouldn’t get too messed-up by the weather, and then she excitedly exclaimed, “Wait, I have something for you!” It was a brand new Angelo David umbrella! I was beside myself with happiness to receive it because I could just hear my mother lamenting that I had ignored her pleadings to bring an umbrella that day.

And I must tell you that both my hair and nails held up not only for that ride back to Brooklyn, but for the rest of my New York trip and back to Los Angeles. My time at the Angelo David Salon even made me loosen up a bit on my intense dislike for Grand Central Station! Who knew all it would take is some good grooming and pleasant company?

Angelo David Salon 48 East 43rd Street NYC 212.883.6620 www.angelodavid.com

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